How long have you been in Lerwick town centre?
R.A.M Knitwear opened its Lerwick town centre shop in March 2020. We had only been open for one week before the first COVID lockdown forced us to temporarily close, which certainly made for an unforgettable start to our shop journey! Despite the challenges, we’ve grown steadily ever since and are proud to now be part of Lerwick’s thriving independent retail community.
What’s your most popular product or service right now?
Our Infinity Scarf continues to be one of our most popular pieces, especially after being featured in past series of the TV show Shetland. Customers love its versatility, softness, and contemporary design, and it has become a bit of a signature piece for us.
What’s your personal favourite product in your shop?
That’s a difficult choice! One favourite would have to be our very first WholeGarment piece — the Shrug — available in either super soft Lambswool or Merino wool. It represents an important milestone for us in seamless knitwear design.
We also love our newest addition, the Mishmash Roll Top Bags, made using remnants from our new Mishmash lambswool blankets. They’re colourful, practical, and a great example of how we try to minimise waste and give beautiful materials a second life.
What makes your business unique?
R.A.M Knitwear focuses on fine gauge contemporary knitwear with a strong emphasis on innovation and sustainability. We specialise in WholeGarment seamless knitwear, creating pieces with minimal waste and exceptional comfort.
We primarily work with factory surplus yarns, meaning many of our colourways and combinations are limited edition or completely unique. Rather than traditional Shetland wool, we focus on natural fibres such as Super Geelong Lambswool, Merino wool, Cashmere, Silk, and Cotton.
What do you love most about being part of the local community?
One of the things we love most is the support and collaboration within the wider Shetland community. Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to create commissioned pieces for Up Helly Aa squads, which is always a real highlight for us. But knitting this year’s billhead for Lerwick UHA26 has got to be the biggest honour yet!
Living Lerwick has also been incredibly supportive of local businesses, and there’s a wonderful sense of community among independent shop owners. We regularly recommend customers and visitors to neighbouring businesses, and they do the same for us, creating such a positive atmosphere in the town centre.
Why should someone visit your business?
We offer contemporary knitwear that’s a little different from what people might expect to find in Shetland. Our pieces are designed and made using high-quality surplus yarns, making many items unique while also helping to reduce waste.
We also welcome custom orders and pride ourselves on offering friendly, personal customer service. Whether someone is looking for a special gift, a statement accessory, or simply something beautifully made, we want them to feel at home when they visit R.A.M Knitwear.
For more info about R.A.M please click here